Building a Boulder Retaining Wall 44'l x 8'h x 5'w | Proper methods | Basic Principles | Dry Stack

[@Buildingenjoyment]

I’m really sorry but your wall is awful. You don’t know how to layer rocks. With the great rock selection you have the joints should be tighter.

[@RockinWalls]

I truly love learning and always welcome the opportunity. But your comment seems to be more opion than knowledge based. Let's see what you know! Before we start, do you build boulder walls, do dry stack or dry laid stone? As a hobby or professionally? Are you certified with the DSC Dry Stone Conservancy US, DSWA Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain, DSWA Instructor Certified, or have a training site for teaching the craft? What do you mean by layer rocks? What's the difference from a rock and a stone? What other patterns could I have chosen to use with this stone type? How does one make tighter joints with boulders? When breaking joints, how much coverage should you shoot for? What does a zipper joint mean? What does squaring up mean, and when do you apply this methon with what and how? How did I sort and organize my stone prior to building? Did I work with what I had and hand or get more while building? What kind of stone is this? What is a Long Face? How do you set a long face. What is a tracer? When do you use tracers? What is more important aesthetics or a structural sound wall? How many joints can you have? What is a jumper? When you have a jumper, the stones that run next to it, would this be a running joint? Or would this be referenced to as one on one? Or actually 1 over 3? Name a minimum of 4 proper dry stone principles taught by the DCS or DSWA? How are we doing? This is fun... After you've answered these questions, take some time to watch these videos. Let me know if this is too tight? kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJW2c3qBnNh6nbMsi=3z-_uyD1-TcxaZ8U kzbin.infoPyL7QoxRQM8?si=kd6mepUcLXf12HOl kzbin.info/www/bejne/r4uxqZlprNeZkJosi=F6qEQos03CFVIKbZ Thank you so much for your comment. I'd love to see your work. Do you have a website, or can you send some photos? Mark Jurus Specializing in the Craft of Dry Laid Stone Construction! Certified: DSWA Instructor, Dry Stone Professional Waller Level 2 Journeyman DSC - Dry Stone Conservancy US Level 3 Advanced DSWA - Dry Stone Walling Association of Great Britain BFA - Visual Communication Graphic Design MICA - Maryland Institute College of Art

[@Buildingenjoyment]

Thank you for not removing my comment. We’re given a scenario to deal with when the rocks are dumped on site! The best of what we have is your comment absolutely correct! I have built stonewalls for endless years. My interest is more in creating living walls not rock walls. I always plant the living daylights out of my walls. I always embed living plant material into any voids. Within six months my walls look as if they have been build by the Incas! They take a back step to the life growing out of this walls. I know what you’re up against but the solution is life not large joints!

[@RockinWalls]

​@@BuildingenjoymentSadly large joints are the only solution with this black granite. Truely a photo wouldn't tell you the full story. As much stuff is on the KZbin I can see how it can be easy to judge. Key with this structure is to be solid and sound. I needed to focus on length in but also make sure I had flat surfaces to continue to build up. Do my best to break the joints. When a stone can't be sqaured up you'll always end up with wider joints. The key is making the best with what you have. This stone is absolutely heavy and just about impossible to work with. Check out my other links in comment above. Trust me if I could make it tighter I would have. That's what I do. 😊 You won't be dispointed with other stone walls joints. I PROMISE! I love that you make living walls. The only issue with that is that the plants and earth can cause the stone to rot over time. Not all stone some stone. One thing which is really cool in UK is Turf tops or you can use sedum for the top of a freestanding wall. Really cool. Ofcourse UK gets rain everyday. More or less you take 1 layer of sod and turn it upside down then you set the second on top. I've always wanted to try it. I'm sure I'd be out side everyday watering it. 😂 -Mark Keep on Rockin!

[@RockinWalls]

​@@BuildingenjoymentP.S I forgot to mention that the client has done what you do. Planted plants in the wide joints. They're big into the Renesas stuff. You should see the mid evil lantern they made for hanging.on the wall. Cool stuff.

[@Buildingenjoyment]

Thinking and working in 3D is tough. Always (always) imitate nature! Try to set walls into a slope allowing for planting pockets. In nature most walls are moving into a slope not necessarily stalked on top of each other. Use the boulders to create secondary stairs. Let the rocks show you the way. To stack boulders for the sake of stacking them to gain height might not be our best option. Crappy stones have a lesser voice in how to stack them. Flexibility makes up for this downfall. Stepping walls back in some areas is definitely a way to make the stacking easier!

[@timd1191]

I am currently building a large stone wall. Using all your techniques, very pleased with it so far. Thank you. Great work!

[@RockinWalls]

That's great news! Keep having fun.

[@shelleys6826]

Wow. Just WOW! I haven’t been online much lately so haven’t kept up with your artistry in several years. You astound me with your talent. This video was so very cool in terms of your explaining what you do and the choices and decisions you make. Excellent video!

[@RockinWalls]

Thank you, Shelley! Yes, this was a fun one. It was nice to give back to our friend who has done so much for us in our lives but never would take anything in return. So this really meant more to me than just building a wall. It was a way for me to say thank you for all you have done. As a friend, that's what we do for our friends. Not a what's in it for me as the world has become more and more these days.

[@RobynNuttall]

Hey Mark! Long time no see (used to work for your parents and the Jewelry shop). I am designing a stacked boulder wall (small, not like this one), and decided to search some instructional videos. Low and behold, your video was the second one I came across. I had no idea you had a channel, but I'm super glad I found it. I know your work, and I don't think I could have stumbled across a better stone stacker. Hope all is well! Thank you!

[@RockinWalls]

Hey Robyn, looking forward to seeing you at a workshop soon.

[@matthewfinger2381]

Nice, those are some nice looking stones. This style of wall is great for wildlife such as snakes and rodents who will hibernate inside it during the winter. Of course some people don't like that lol

[@RockinWalls]

So true we call them living walls. Thank you.

[@jennymackie6205]

This is such an incredibly helpful video. I have a dry stack wall of boulders that was improperly made and it is starting to slide and shift. I'm going to need to deconstruct and redo the whole thing (probably next summer) and I want to make sure to have a solid plan for it's reconstruction.

[@b00ty]

I just discovered your channel, and my dude you are awesome! Thanks for sharing the knowledge and tradition!

[@RockinWalls]

Thank you, Rune. I love walling and sharing with all.

[@dmett76]

Loving your videos! I'm looking to build a 2-3 foot retaining wall at the base of a hillside (there's a spring up the hill that I'm trying to control with a trench about 30 feet above where the wall will go, but it's still pretty wet) in the Catskills in NY state. There's a french drain at the base of the hill at the edge of the flat ground, consisting of perforated drain pipe covered in gravel. The point of the wall is to control erosion AND to help direct any water that makes it through the wall into the french drain and away from the house. My plan WAS to dig a trench about a foot deep on the uphill side of the french drain, and about 2 feet wide, lay and compact a few inches of gravel, and then build up from there, at about a 1:6 batter...I was going to use landscape fabric and then backfill with gravel, but now, based on your comments, I'm thinking a) I don't need to to so deep with my trench, and b) I shouldn't use gravel or cloth. It also seems like I the backside of the wall should ALSO be at a 1:6 batter, and that the wall shouldn't lean into the hillside...but I'm not quite clear on that part... Any insights appreciated! Thanks!

[@RockinWalls]

Hello David, first question would be have you considered taking a workshop? Dry laid stone walls are not as easy as they may seem. A 2-3' wall is a lot to undertake with no previous experience. As for your project I really can say for sure since I'm unable to see the site. Typically you can dig an earth swale/ditch to help direct the water. As for the batter you could simply do a 1:12 on the backend. Keep in mind walls over 30" require tie/through stones at knee height placed every 3' on center. And you are correct about A&B The Dry Stone Walling book would be a great place to start with loads of information. amzn.to/31d95iF We offer workshops every spring and fall. You could also take a look at The Stone Trust in VT. Or even the Dry Stone Conservancy in KY Thank you for checking out my videos. - Mark

[@dmett76]

@@RockinWalls ha yes you're right a workshop would probably be a smart idea! If you hold any this spring I will definitely sign up. I won't be starting this project til next year anyway. thanks for the book recommendation too I will definitely get a copy. There are plenty of old forgotten and collapsed stone walls on my property so I have a lot of great material to use. Super excited to get started!

[@Harmitron]

I would never have bet on that wall having been constructed by one person only. Amazing work

[@RockinWalls]

Thank you Harmin, So funny you say that my buddy who owns the property is like MacGyver. There's nothing he can't do! Seriously he builds all kinds of stuff, does grading, demos houses with big excavators so gifted.. He's known to be a problem silver and loves bar puzzles. Which to this day masters each one he gets in less the 5 mins. Stacking these boulders he wanted me to give it a go. Since had tried around his pond he built.. He helped once he knew what I was looking for by laying out all the boulders in the parking lot. Or some times he would bring me a load of packing stone. All and all it was just easier for me to handle the full construction. Takes years to learn how to read stone. It was a total challenge. I've worked with this stone 2 other times in my life. This was truly an amazing opertunity to give back to my good friend. Since he has done more to help me then I could ever ask for. Feels so good. He was also so confused why I was using up all his stone. By the second course of the wall he totally understood the construction methods I was using. Thank you again for your comments!

[@KyleParks]

Thank you. I learned a lot.

[@RockinWalls]

Thank you Kyle. Glad you found some good info in this video.

[@touchyssubjects364]

I was a founding board member of Freemason Park foundation and I own some property near Joshua Tree about a mile away from the world's largest free-standing Boulder and I've been building a backyard observatory out of stone I would love to have some tips.

[@markmiles9144]

I'm beginning a project much like this but I started with a 2 foot by 2 foot by 40 foot concrete footing. Maybe overkill, lol. I won't be incorporating any wood whatsoever and I'll be compacting every layer of backfill with every layer of stone.

[@fabn5973]

I like your work man

[@RockinWalls]

Thank you Fabian. I love my job!

[@oldhamegg]

I would like to see, from start to finish, a front wall and back wall as it is constructed.

[@RockinWalls]

Just go to my website, and you'll see lots of older blogs with all the photos of timelines showing the construction process of front wall and back wall.

[@MrLuiscon]

Loving the videos. Would you be able to show how you make a corner or an end on a “normal” size wall LOL

[@RockinWalls]

Sure you can see them on my current Facebook post. Great suggestion for another video! Make sure you subscribe so you can be the first to watch.

[@a-veteranlandscapesitework2413]

Im very interested in learning.

[@RockinWalls]

Spring 2022 Workshops as long as our health climate changes.

[@DJSparksMusic]

Did I hear Hampstead MD?? I live in Eldersburg and would love some pointers!

[@RockinWalls]

Yes Hampstead. Workshops can be found at www.RWTrainingCenter.com April I have 4 lined up from freestanding walls to patio work. Hope to see you. I do the workshops both spring and fall.

[@reck860]

I knew no gravel but see the pop up box also said no landscape fabric. What is the issue with putting landscape fabric that is porous between the soil and the wall? I was under the impression it would help eliminate creep of soil into the wall closing off areas for water to seep through. Thanks for your videos.

[@RockinWalls]

Great question! Short answer is while engineers and sales man will tell you should. The likely hood of silt clogging up the fabric is extremely high. Then causing hydraulic pressure. I've worked with many historic walls. See the Ellicott City video this is 100 plus old here in the states. In UK there are structures 5000-7000 years old. Dry laid stone walls are living walls with free drainage and flexible. A proper build dry laid stone wall is really a freestanding wall. For dirt to travel into the wall will not hurt it. I've taken apart many old walls with lots of dirt. The cause of failure is never the earth. Simply wrong building methods. To often single sided walls relying on the dirt to keep them up. Guaranteed failure within first 10-20 years. As for gravel check out my Hopewell Furnace National Park Video. This was designed by an engineer and failed in 40 years with gravel behind it. That really worked out well 🤣 Proper Dry Laid Stone walls should last 100-200 years before needing maintance. Also think about this when you make coffee in a coffee maker the filter works great the first time. Now leave the coffee grinds for a week or so. Then try make coffee with the same grinds you left in the filter. Should work right? Nope... I'm not an engineer but I've learned a lot from old walls. I've also seen first hand what mother nature can do. One last thought with construction methods. Timber retaining walls, Gabon baskets retaining walls have you ever seen any of these construction with landscape cloth? They too are free draining and flexable. To sum up this not so very short answer to a great question! If history has proven walls that last 5000-7000 such as Skara Brae in UK. How can we do better then good old dirt? No gravel and no landscape cloth? Mother nature and historical structure are my engineer for success and proper building methods. Time tested and proven! I hope you found this helpful.

[@reck860]

@@RockinWalls thank you for the explanation on the fabric. I hadn’t looked at it from that perspective prior as looked at it from the new age method of using fabric to separate the media’s. I did get to take the beginners class in Vermont with the Stonetrust. My professional life changed from landscaping to railroading but have a passion for stone work. Hope to continue learning more and doing projects on the future for myself at least. Thank you for the great videos and insights.

[@RockinWalls]

My pleasure. Yes that is by far one of the most common questions and heated discussions in the walling community. I trust all the masters I've worked with to follow there lead. But there are a few up at in Vermont that think it a must. I disagree and trust history to show me what works. Great you took a workshop up at The Stone Trust. Good folks up there! I've done a bunch of training, Instructing and testing at the site. I know them all. Small world with stone. Thankfully stone never gets old. Great your working. Thank you again for checking out my channel and asking the question. Also if you are close to Maryland then Vermont keep my training site in mind for the future workshops. 😊

[@_big_man_69_]

The way I learned was such engineered retaining walls shouldn't be retaining any native soil unless it's non expansive. There should be a sort of hill, starting at the foot of the wall, and rising back at the angle of repose. The landscape fabric is then placed, and a non-expansive soil to fill between the native soil and the wall, so as that it only retains the imported soil. The purpose is to keep clay particulates from migrating into the imported soil. If you just stick geo fab directly behind a retaining wall, you're at best doing nothing helpful and at worst increasing the hydrostatic pressure behind the wall if it would otherwise be free-draining.

[@RockinWalls]

The dry stone walls are free draining and flexable. They should never have any fabric or gravel behind the wall. If what you say is true. Please explain how Machu Picchu (600 years old) and Skara Brae Prehistoric Village (5000-7000 years old) are still standing?

[@holycow3355]

I have a 4m x 20m (12ft x 66 ft) boulder wall at rear of my property, how many years/decades do they last if no drainage issue ? Is it very difficult to build a 12ft high wall ?

[@RockinWalls]

Hard to say how long it will last. All based on the building methods. A dry laid stone wall or boulder wall is free draining. All the gaps/joints will let water out naturally. Yes it is difficult to build a 12 tall wall. Anything over shoulder height requires equipment or scaffolding. Happy Holidays!

[@damo2664]

Looks great but I’m not sure on the trees being part of it. Your wall will last 100 years the tree may last 10. Was that an idea of the customer? It would only take 5 mins to remove

[@RockinWalls]

Yes, the customers requested so they could attach lanterns. They do a lot of renaissance stuff in this space. The wall was built structurly around it, so even when the tree rots away , the wall will still be standing 🙂 Thank you for the comment. - Mark

[@rakjy5628]

I have a question though, do you build both walls at the same time or what do you do? i am not saying it like you wait a month or so, just i get it, you build the front wall and then (at the same token) do the back walls and then do the fillings?

[@RockinWalls]

Ra, Yes great question. The 1 2 3 you build (@ 7:23) the 1 front then 2 build the back 3 then pack with hearting in the middle. Never above the front wall stone. Preferable level to the front. This way when you go to set the next course it will sit right on top no problems. This is the same basic principles with any size wall. As you build up you fill the back of the wall with earth. Naturally you are compacting it just as you build by walking on it or driving equipment. Thank you for the question!

[@neal7023]

Thanks so much Mark - Question - does a dry stone retaining wall of about 5 feet high require rebar ? Thank you

[@RockinWalls]

Neal that's a first. Rebar is never used in a dry stone wall! What purpose would it serve? Maybe in a mortared wall. A wall which is 5 ft would require double set of tie stones staggered.

[@amyrobinson4574]

Do you come out to south nj ? Or have a recommendation for a company who does this in the area?

[@crazyplantlady2542]

You mention that you should never use gravel in between your front wall and your back wall but you don't say why.. I would appreciate your insight here... I'm running a length of conduit in the space behind my rock wall (it will be about 5 ft tall) and I would like to use 1" gravel to cover it because I feel it will distribute the weight evenly and avoid crushing the conduit.

[@RockinWalls]

Yes great question. I've answered that in 1 comment below. Take a look at that and see if that answers your question. Dirt will not crush conduit pipes. I do low voltage lighting and sleeve all my jobs with 1/2 or 3/4. Bottom line it will let more water into the back of the wall. Just as well it doesn't compact so you always have any extra weight load pushing against the wall. See my Hopewell Furnace National Park wall youtube video. Which failed and had 1"-2" gravel behind it. Plus if you ever have to dig it back out, good luck with that digging. Just a side note when calculating fill dirt you use the same calculations as gravel. So they are basically the same weight load. Biggest thing is you want earth so it will compact and minimize water getting into the wall.

[@kevinbrasington1571]

Looking at your wall, the incha has you beat

[@RockinWalls]

Heck, yay, they do. Not to mention, they are wellmover 800 years old. The real question is how long did it take them to build those amazing structures and walls.😊

[@HappysTrails]

That’s a big wall.

[@RockinWalls]

Thank you Happy. Go big or go home...LOL🤣

[@nwaldburger]

I’d love to see how this wall ages at 5-10 years

[@RockinWalls]

Check back in 5 years

[@aj12271]

why didn't you just remove the stump? it will rot in time & create gap needing filled.

[@RockinWalls]

Sure that's what I would have done. My buddy is big into renaissance stuff and this area is all decked out. This tree was left to hang lanterns and lights. Like they say the clients always right. Ha Ha good thing this was built like a corner so everything ties back in. Plus it's bridged like a traditional lintel. So it can totally rot and the wall will still be standing.

[@aj12271]

@@RockinWalls really like your work. Seeing your videos & how you build these properly makes me cringe when I see others doing it. Thanks for your time & explanation.

[@RockinWalls]

My pleasures you asked a really good question. Thank you for the question, comment and the feedback. I have so many videos sitting I really need to put up. Just get so excused at end of the day I have a hard time finding extra energy. But you inspired me to get another one up soon. Been to long. 😊 Yes you should see how I feel when I see walls built wrong or people saying this is how you do it on KZbin. OK mean while I'm 1 of 14 in the US at my Advanced DSWA UK certification. So if it was so easy why aren't more folks. Ok I have to stop you got me all fired up. LOL...🤣

[@Pajuju1]

Do you need to set drainage behind the wall?

[@RockinWalls]

Great question - No! A dry stone wall is free draining and flexable. Why would you need drainage? Basically it's a living wall. Which in turn is active with each season. Some of the oldest know walls are believed to be 5000-7000 years old ie Skara Brae Prehistoric Village g.co/kgs/23sqck They definaly don't have drainage nor does Machu Picchu believed to be 700 years old. Both are still standing today. I trust time to tell the truth. Not an engineer.

[@productdirector]

Hey Mark, I'm sorry but you have a 5-layer course of stones with stacked joints that will eventually cause the wall to fail. A better choice of stones and alignment would have been a better choice.

[@RockinWalls]

That sounds great in theory! Easier said than done with boulders. You have to work through the pile at hand. Making choices and decisions you may not typically make and be ok with it. Stone teachs us life leasson with everyone we pick up and place. If this was stone we purchased, it might be doable, not so much with boulders in a pile. What you have is what you have as you dig into the pile. You learn very quickly to make the best choices you can with what you have at hand. Also, the double wall system is now both front and back and the hearting in the middle keeps the wall from implodeing in on its self, so everything works as one. I could have zipper joints, more than 3 up running joints. By following the other rules such as length in, good stone on stone contact work to cover the joint further up, pack and pin from the middle, keep courses level the likly hood of failure is decreased. Only time will tell us if this wall will fail. You nor I can say otherwise! You may want to watch this video kzbin.info/www/bejne/fV61d5xng7qVlbMsi=JlYe5ic35OeONARD You sound like you've built some walls. YES? Are you a professional waller and certified by the DSWA or DSC? Do you know Sean Adcock or Andrew Loudon? Or worked with any DSWA Masters? I love working and learning from others in my trade. What do you think of this wall I built? kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJW2c3qBnNh6nbMsi=votoOMHZrBiKX9md

[@leoruocco9128]

I'm sorry to tell you if that is your work behind you it's one of the worse i have seen.Congratulations

[@RockinWalls]

🤣 Yes, it is. Actually, the stone dictates the wall style. You have to work with the stone the best you can. I believe if you look at my other projects, you'll clearly see that what you're saying is simply your option. Which correct me, but are you a professional waller? You do what for a living?